Mergers: With Their Own Money

As a merger magician, Meshulam Riklis, 44,
fits into a niche all his own. Starting in Minneapolis as a $50-a-week
securities analyst, he stitched together a conglomerate composed of
retailing, clothing, textile and theater companies with $1.4 billion a
year in sales. Overextended and debt-laden, Riklis' empire almost
collapsed five years ago. He rallied by selling off a big chunk of his
complex to raise funds. Last week he climaxed his comeback by capturing
his richest corporate prize yet: Schenley Industries, Inc.